Not a Quick Study
by LaCroixWitch
Summary: (Malec Fluff) When Alec and Magnus use the alliance/binding rune for a mission, neither of them anticipate that it won't come off. The fluff on this fic is so sweet, it will rot your teeth.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Shadowhunters or The Mortal Instruments. I do wish I owned a stele.

* * *

"Hello. As you know, I'm Magnus Bane." The warlock stood from his velvet chaise lounge, circling to the middle of the room.

"Why are you introducing yourself?" His guest shifted uncomfortably.

"Shh-" He held up a single, sparkling manicured finger. "I'm telling the story, it's for dramatic effect… So where was I…" He spun around stopping suddenly. "Oh yes- I'm Magnus Bane."

"I'm the High Warlock of Alicante, the son of the Greater Demon Asmodeus, and most importantly, the husband of Clave Inquisitor Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane" He smiled fondly at the last part, his mind drifting somewhere else.

"At least, that's all I was until a few months ago." He paused. "Care for a drink?" He pouted his darkly painted lips slightly in question, but it wasn't a question. He conjured two perfectly mixed martinis, olives daintily skewered and resting against the rim.

"Now, you might be asking yourself where Alexander is right now, but I'll get to that later…" He shoved the glass into his reluctant guest's hand, snapping his fingers to give the drink a pleasant glow before returning to his circuit, pacing the room.

"You're… going to want this-" He pointed to the glass. "-when you hear what else I have in store." He leaned against a pillar, tilting his head back as he sipped from his glass.

"You see- I'm now something else- something unprecedented- something that, in my 300 plus years on this planet I have never heard of happening before." He sipped generously from his drink before walking forward, until he was only a few feet away from his seated visitor. Letting the silence stew for painful anticipation, he took a seat in the armchair opposite of the captive audience. Finally, a mischievous smile stretching across his cheshire face, cat eyes glinting, he spoke.

"I'm a Shadowhunter. And I'm going to tell you the story of how that wonderful accident came to be. It all started when I was called in on a high-profile case..."

* * *

"Alexander, you're home early. What a glorious surprise." He met his husband at the door, wrapping him into a quick kiss. Alec, however, didn't share Magnus' enthusiasm, and the warlock sensed something was amiss.

"Is something wrong?" He pushed back, placing his hands on Alec's broad yet elegant shoulders, feeling how tense his muscles had become.

"It's just Clave business. There have been a few greater demon attacks back in New York. You know how much I hate to drag you into Shadowhunter business, but they've requested that I bring you along on this mission since you have experience and-" Alec was mumbling.

Magnus cut him off, pressing a ring-clad finger to Alec's lips.

"Not another word Alexander. I wouldn't dream of sitting it out. If it's a greater demon, you're not safe out there alone. Shadowhunters can only do so much against such a powerful magical force."

"Hey now-" He chuckled. "I think I've done pretty well for myself on my own." He pushed Magnus back jokingly before sliding out of his leather jacket and hanging it on a hook. Allowing himself a moment to appreciate being out of the office early, he flopped onto the plush golden couch. Despite the massive size of the piece of furniture, Alec's feet still hung off the end, a sad reality being incredibly tall.

Magnus followed him in, ready to sit on the couch with him. Stopping in his tracks, he came up with a brilliant idea.

"Why don't we have a drink... " He waved his hands, a cloud of iridescent blue smoke producing two drinks- a martini for himself and a whiskey-neat for alexander. "And you can get me up to speed with the mission."

Alec started to protest, but gave in quickly. Magnus handed Alec the drink before moving toward the end of the sofa. With a quick wave of the wrist, the couch stretched by a few feet, now easily accommodating the shadowhunter and his warlock husband. He lifted Alec's legs up, sitting down and replacing them back on his lap.

"So what _big bad_ is plaguing the mundane world this time?" His martini in one hand, he mindlessly rubbed Alec's feet with the other. Alec sighed into the simple, amorous touch.

"We aren't exactly sure, but the attacks all share a similar pattern: superstition. I know it sounds nuts, but the attacks have been things like a person stepped on a crack and broke their back. One person walked under a ladder and got hit by a bus. We only noticed that it was demon related because the demon left behind a signature: blue slime."

"Blue slime? That doesn't sound like a Demon to me, it sounds like a Djinn."

"A Djinn? In New York? I thought that was outside their normal territory." He furrowed his thick brows, reaching his head up a bit to look at Magnus.

"Anything is possible." Another flick of the wrist, and a plush, green pillow was supporting Alec's neck. "The seelie realm _has _been in disorder lately." Magnus raised his eyebrows and leaned back, waving his hand in a flourish. An ottoman apparated under his feet.

"You see, that's why you were requested." Now that he was sitting up a bit, it was much easier to sip at his drink.

"Because I can summon pillows?" Magnus teased, tickling Alec's ankle. They each giggled like children.

"No, seriously! We never would've thought that it was a djinn."

"Yes, my wealth of knowledge has been known to save the day." He winked. "But there's one thing I don't get- why do I need to come along? Isn't my normal role just consultation?"

"The demon… or maybe djinn.. has been attacking in highly populated, public, mundane locations. We're going to need some pretty complex glamours, discreet portaling, long range demon sensing."

"How complex are we talking about for these glamours?" Magnus was a mixture of curious and excited. He didn't get out of the house as much anymore, and it might be fun to get back on the proverbial horse.

"To the mundanes, it will need to look like nothing is happening, when in reality, blue goo is spreading all over the place." Alec stretched out his long arms, his eyes going wide at the imagined disaster. "Potentially somewhere large. If it follows the pattern, it might be hitting Times Square actually."

"Ugh, just like a disgusting demon. I _hate_ Times Square." Magnus crinkled his nose.

"Whatever it is hasn't been glamoring itself either, so you'll have to glamor that… thing. A shadowhunter can't glamor another being."

"That will take a lot of magic," His eyes glistened. "but it's nothing I shouldn't be able to handle."

"Magnus, of course you can handle it, but remember who you're talking to for a second. I know that this is going to be incredibly taxing on you. I tried to see if we could get a second warlock on it, but you are the only one the clave trusts."

"Worst case, I'll just take a few days off afterward, portal myself out to Mykonos, bask in the sun." He closed his eyes, imagining himself in one of his favorite places. Alexander would have to come along. He looked amazing with a sun-kissed tan and salt-water hair.

"No Magnus, worst case you end up drained of magic, like you were when you tried to heal me after I did that parabatai tracking. If that happens, you are completely defenseless. Not to mention, what if this djinn can weaken your magic? We don't know what we are getting into. I can't drag you into this without some extra protection."

"What, exactly, are you suggesting?"

"The binding rune. The one that Clary made so that we could all go safely into the downworld when we were fighting Jonathan."

"Oh yes… the _wonderful_ rune that bound you to _Lorenzo._" He scowled in disgust.

"If we used that rune, and you burned out your magic, you would at least be able to use shadowhunter runes. Plus, this way, since I'll be part warlock, you can channel me for some of the spells, making the whole scenario simpler."

"Didn't the Angel ban Clary from using those runes?"

"She was banned from creating _new_ runes… they never said anything about using the ones she'd already created."

"Alexander, are you- counsel to the Clave- implying that we bend the rules of the _Angels?_ This really is a throwback, I forgot how much I like it when you're bad…"

* * *

"That mission was about a month ago. I'll spare you the details of the case, but needless to say, it was successful. The binding rune had made things almost _too_ easy, and the djinn was easily detained and taken to the Authority."

"You might be asking me '_Magnus, why have you brought me here? What was the emergency? So you used a scandalous rune, that does not constitute an emergency. What are you not telling me?'"_

"Well then, good catch- because I'm leaving out one detail of this plan that was not exactly successful." Magnus raised his shirt, showing off an expertly drawn rune on his side. "The binding rune wouldn't come off." He lowered his shirt. "It's beautiful handiwork- I know. Alec must have been a perfect student in rune studies."

"After a bit of panic, we decided to make the best of it. After all, if Alec was part warlock, he'd be immortal…"

* * *

"I'd be immortal… without needing to become a vampire."

"Well you wouldn't _be _immortal, the rune is already on you. You currently _are _immortal."

"Magnus, I know we dance around this subject a lot, but you know I was willing to become a vampire to stay with you forever. I know you'd never be selfish enough to ask, but it's what I wanted…"

"But now, you get to be an immortal shadowhunter. I would've hated for you to have to give up that part of yourself Alexander."

"And Magnus, now if anything were to happen to your magic, I could give you mine. Or you could still use shadowhunter runes."

"So, should we tell anyone about this? I don't know how the Clave would think about a shadowhunter-warlock or an immortal shadowhunter…"

"We don't have to decide right away…"

"Maybe we could have a little fun with this first…"

At that moment, Jace burst through the door, ruining the mood.

"Care to explain to me why I felt you using warlock magic, Alec?" He walked right up to Alec, squinting his eyes, already preparing to place some blame. "At least, that's what I thought I felt through my parabatai rune. But there's no way that could be possible, right?"

Alec was at a loss for words, his eyes going wide as he bit the inside of his cheek. He was not good at coming up with excuses on the fly. Magnus, however, was fantastic at it.

"Oh, that would be an easy mistake to make. While it might have felt like _Alec_ was practicing magic, actually, _I _was the one using magic and channeling Alec. We were in the bedroom and I had this _wonderful _idea…"

"Magnus, I was on the mission with you and Alec. I know you used the binding rune. I know what it felt like through our bond when he was using magic during that mission. What I don't know is why you haven't removed it yet."

"Ok, so that first story was mostly true…"

"Save it Magnus. I know for a _fact_ the rune is still there, because I never felt it get removed. Rune removal is painful. I can feel _any_ pain that my parabatai is feeling."

"_Any pain?"_ Magnus raised an eyebrow. Alec blushed. Jace shook his head quickly, choosing to ignore what he just heard.

"Let me rephrase what I just said." He stepped forward, pressing a finger to Alec's chest. "Why haven't you removed the binding rune?"

Silence.

"I can't." His lips pressed into a line, and he stepped back, creating a distance between himself and Jace. Unsure what to do with his hands and feeling on trial, he combed through his inky mop of hair.

"What do you mean _you can't_. Look," His tone changed, becoming more gentle. "I know you want to be immortal to stay with Magnus but you never should have used this rune in the first place. I don't want you to get in trouble Alec, we can find another way. My blood could make you a daylighter like Simon, or-"

"No Jace. I physically can't. It won't come off. I've tried everything, read through all the books." Jace's accusatory facial expression melted. He instinctively knew his parabatai wasn't lying.

This was a lot to digest so suddenly. He came into this conversation with such an aggressive energy, hell-bent on getting answers to a situation that he thought had a simple solution. In his wildest imagination, he would have never thought that this was the truth. Conflicting thoughts started to bubble up in his mind. He felt guilt for not trusting his parabatai, flashbacks to the trauma of the days of Valentine, the angels, and Clary's self-designed runes, and a small flare of jealousy that Magnus and Alec would get to share their perfect relationship for eternity while he had to rebuild everything from the ground up with Clary.

He needed to focus on the matter at hand though, not his personal baggage. The most important thing was that this could make Alec very happy, and that's all he could ever want for his brother.

"We are allowed to use the runes by the Grace of The Angel. Maybe if it can't be removed, you're supposed to have it." He pursed his lips, hesitant to be so hopeful about the situation. He knew that if the Clave found out about this, their reaction could be hostile. But Alec was his parabatai, and he was going to stand by him no matter what.

"So you're not going to tell-" Alec's hazel eyes were nervous. He couldn't imagine being at odds with his parabatai, not again.

"I wouldn't dream of it, parabatai." Jase clapped a strong hand on Alec's shoulder, and they both knew it would all end up okay.

* * *

"I, for one, am _very_ excited to be on this assignment." Magnus straightened the lapels of his black velveteen jacket. He noticed that the shadowhunters always wore black, especially his tall dark and handsome husband to his left. Now that he could sport his own runes, he wanted to do his best to fit in. A bit of an afterthought, he raked his fingers through his hair, glamoring away the bright blue tips to reveal a sophisticated yet daring solid blue-black on his entire head.

"Mags, you know you don't need an excuse to get me to go to London, right? I would totally go on my own. If you just asked… " Alec adjusted the quiver on his back, arching his back to make sure he was ready for action.

"Correct, but it's not every day that you get to go for _work._ Perhaps we can stay behind after, make a long weekend of it. I have a place in SoHo that we've never been to-"

"You have more than one house in London?" Alec furrowed his brow. "Wait did you change your hair?" Magnus ignored the last statement, only responding by flipping his hair back.

"I have over three centuries of surprises for you, Alexander. And don't you _ever_ forget it." Magnus winked. Even after being married for over a year, a simple wink from his warlock was all it took to make Alec's breath hitch.

"Alright, so if you two are done now, can we move on with the mission?" Jace was standing in front of them, his arms crossed, emphasizing his large muscles. He was wearing a black leather hoodie- sleeveless. Lips pursed, he looked thoroughly annoyed, although you could tell he was trying to repress a smirk.

Alec startled, snapping back to reality. It was too easy to get sucked into a bubble, where Magnus was his entire world. But this was a case, and his parabatai was right- they had to stay on mission.

"We're doing surveillance mostly- these demons hide in small spaces and make faint noises." Alec's voice had quickly switched back to the cool, calm and collected tone of a well-respected Clave inquisitor. "Activate your vision and hearing runes, along with your unheard rune so that we don't startle off the demons. They have a tendency to scatter."

Jace and Alec reached into their pockets, grabbing their steles. In near perfect unison, they activated the runes in sweeping motions.

Magnus, however was flustered. He opened his jacket, reaching into the interior pocket. _Empty._ He patted the exterior pockets. _Empty._ This went in for a few seconds until he was hopelessly patting at his butt, much to Jace's amusement.

"I seem to have… forgotten my stele." His eyes fell to the side as he sighed. He looked almost embarrassed.

"On your first mission as a shadowhunter no less." Jace rolled his eyes.

"It's fine, you can use mine." Alec smiled, holding his stele out to Magnus. Magnus flicked his hand away.

"No bother, I am the high warlock of Alicante after all. I don't need runes to have stealth." He waved his arms around in a cloud of blue smoke. The air crackled with electricity, glittering as it settled itself around his body and was quickly absorbed. Alec thought it was absolutely stunning.

"You're going to have to teach me how to do that later." Alec whispered as they followed behind Jace.

* * *

"Isabelle! It's so wonderful to see you, as always." Magnus pulled his sister-in-law into a hug, kissing each of her cheeks carefully enough to not ruin her makeup.

"It's been far too long. I love working at the New York Institute, but I just miss you and Alec so much! So I hear you need some help with Shadowhunter training?" She raised one eyebrow, her ruby lips twitching to a smirk.

"Oh, Alexander told you about our little… binding rune incident." He lightly grimaced. It made him nervous for too many people to know about it, but at the same time, he couldn't dream of hiding anything from Izzy. If Alec hadn't said anything, Magnus probably would have told her in a matter of minutes post-arrival.

Instead of replying, Izzy dropped her bag at her feet and started to raise the hem of Magnus' shirt. She looked to one side and then the other before landing her chocolate eyes on what she was looking for.

"By the Angel… it is true." She couldn't peel her eyes away. "And it really can't be removed?" Her finger traced along its shape, the motion lightly tickling the slightly anxious warlock. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry, I have the worst manners!" She dropped his shirt and stood back up. "I just can't believe it, is all. And you can still do all of your magic?"

"Everything is exactly the same in that department. And Alec has magic as well. He's already able to make portals and put up basic wards. It's putting my shadowhunter skills to shame." Magnus conjured two tiny cups of espresso, passing one to Izzy as they walked toward the terrace. Izzy always preferred sitting outside, taking in the clean and peaceful atmosphere of Idris.

"But there's not much runes can do that your warlock magic can't, right?" She sipped delicately, careful to not smudge her lipstick.

"Precisely. However, you have seen what happens when I push my magic too hard. It takes a while to recover. Runes could be incredibly helpful in that type of situation, or if I want to save my magic for something more serious than say… an invisibility spell."

"Well, I've been told I'm a _great_ teacher, so where do you want to start?" She put down her espresso cup on the wrought iron table.

"I was thinking that you could help me discreetly place some of the most basic and versatile runes. I don't want them to be visible, as I'd rather not make it obvious to everyone with the sight that I'm now part shadowhunter. As much as I _adore_ Alexander's defense rune on his neck, I think it might be suspicious if I did anything so… obvious."

"If all you needed was runes drawn, you know Alec could've helped you with that, right?" Izzy looked confused. "Especially if they'd be in more… hidden places." Izzy wasn't uncomfortable with what Magnus was asking, she was just more confused as to why it wouldn't be something he'd want Alec to do.

"Bless Alexander's heart, but I think that you have more experience in artistically placed runes." He gestured to her chest. A deep grey plunge neckline showed off her angelic power rune which outlined her breasts. "I'm just a tad vain, so I want to make sure that they're placed as purposefully as possible."

"I would try to be humble, but I am incredibly proud of my runes." She beamed. "And you know, Alec's defense rune on his neck was my idea right? I knew a future boyfriend would thank me for that one later." She winked, her thick lashes enviable.

"It just makes his jawline look _exquisite._" They shared a laugh.

Another cup of espresso later, they were in the small gym in the Lightwood-Bane home. Izzy decided it was best since the walls were covered in mirrors, making it easy for Magnus to confirm the rune placement before she burned them into his skin. Magnus had conjured in a velveteen lounger for himself, which looked entirely out of place in the industrial room.

He stripped down into a pair of black trunk underwear and stood square in front of the mirror. Izzy pulled her hair back to a luscious ponytail before she circled his delicate, caramel frame. Her eyes were squinted, analyzing every inch of his skin.

"Wait, when did you pierce your nipples?" Her eyes were wide, a mixture of fascination and admiration. "I've always wanted to do it, but it would show through too many of my dresses. Although…"

"That's exactly the point." They chimed in unison.

"To answer your question though, Isabelle, it's just something I'm trying out." He snapped his fingers, making the silver barbells that had crossed his brown nipples disappear. "It's just a simple glamour. I figured I'd give it a try since I value your opinion."

She nodded in approval, going back to her keen observation. She had been born for this, and she wasn't about to waste her chance at a perfect model.

"How often do you wear short sleeves? I don't think I've ever seen you in them but I just want to confirm…" She bit her finger as she scanned up and down his arms.

"Very rarely. Only at home…"

"Alright. Even with the constraints of needing to make the runes less visible, I still have a large amount of canvas to work with. I'm going to avoid anything that would show in a deep-v neck since that is a staple silhouette in your wardrobe. With the simple set of runes I've picked, I shouldn't need to go too far down your legs or past the upper arm. I honestly wouldn't have to do the legs at all, but everyone loves a tasteful leg rune." She rapped her stele against the palm of her hand as she pursed her lips, clearly deep in thought.

"You asked for a _starter set_ of runes, so I'll stick to wellness runes and basic fighting assists. I'll throw in a couple other, as well, just for the aesthetic." Her eyes glimmered with what could be mistaken for mischief. "OK, Lay on your back. I'm going to do the defense rune first. Now this one might hurt, but you can't flinch or I might mess it up."

She placed her hand right above the waistband of Magnus' underwear on his right side. He sucked in a breath, suddenly realizing why she said this one would hurt.

"It's going to be a 'Z' shape just like the one along Alec's neck, but this one will trace your v-lines. "Does that sound good? Do you need me to draw it out first with marker?"

"I don't want to jinx your artistry. I trust you 100 percent, my beautiful sister. If my runes end up looking anything like yours, I'll be very happy. "

"Don't worry too much, they can always come off!" She said brightly, until she realized what she said. "Well, except the binding rune of course. You've gotta give Alec a little bit of credit, he actually placed that rune nicely. Now, breathe normally, I don't want you passing out on me."

She burned the 'z' mark into his lower stomach, tracing his hip bone. He let out a hiss as his flesh singed under the stele. His eyes were squinted shut the entire time. It was fairly awful, especially the bottom of the defense rune that traced the hem of his underwear. When it was over though, he couldn't wait to hop up and take a look in the mirror.

He was surprised when Izzy pushed him back down on the chaise.

"I changed my mind. If you trust me so much, I want to make you wait for the final reveal…"

"I won't question the master!" Magnus smiled, his body hopping with excited energy- or maybe just endorphins from all the pain.

Isabelle continued with the standard runes, each meticulously placed to turn Magnus' body into a work of art. He did chime in with a few suggestions, however, and Izzy obliged.

"So I hear there's a flexibility rune…" He trailed off as Izzy burned the 'courage in combat' dragon rune onto his shoulder blade.

"You hear? Because I'm pretty sure Alec made me help him draw that rune about a month after you two started dating." She laughed, basking in the success of making Magnus blush.

"That was you?"

"The flexibility tramp-stamp on his lower back? How could that _not_ be my handiwork." She flipped her ponytail. "You're welcome by the way."

"So I was thinking, since I'm taking the pain so well, could you do the flexibility rune on my inner thigh?"

"It's funny you should ask." She raised the stele from his shoulder, the rune cooling as it finished settling into his skin. She hiked her leg up onto the chaise in front of Magnus' face, startling him to a seated position. Her short skirt slid up to reveal the flexibility rune high on her toned inner thigh. "You have good taste, Mags."

"Or you have the _filthy _taste of a three century old lothario warlock. Either way, I _love _it." He was now sitting cross legged on the chaise, so she hopped up to join him. She seemed happy to be off of her high-heel clad feet.

"So do you have any other brilliant ideas?" An evil glint shone in her eyes, and was immediately met by a similarly wretched expression by Magnus.

"So you know the nourishment rune….."

"Say no more!" She eagerly hopped off the chaise and poised herself, ready to place the final two perfect runes.

* * *

A few hours later, as Alec was admiring Magnus' new runes in the bedroom, he stopped in his tracks as he looked at his lover's butt.

"Hey Magnus… did Izzy tell you what all of the runes she drew on you meant?" His face was concerned, but a bit awkward.

"Each and every one. Why… is something wrong?" Magnus turned to face Alec.

"Walk over to the mirror with me." Grabbing Magnus' hand, he dragged him in front of the gilded-framed floor to ceiling mirror. He carefully rotated the warlock so that Magnus was able to turn around and see the rune in question. Alec stood cautiously behind him.

"This one…" He lightly tapped the rune on Magnus' left cheek. He had to hold himself back from getting distracted from having his hand on Magnus' plump, naked bottom. "You know what this rune means, right?"

"It's the nourishment rune." Magnus fluttered his eyelashes, acting coy.

"Yes, the nourishment rune… on your butt." He pursed his lips. "Did you know that's where Izzy was placing this one?"

"Of course, Alexander. I wouldn't burn things on my body without knowing their use." He was still not breaking composure, doing his best to seem innocent.

"And you were ok with that rune being there?" Alec's face was serious.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Magnus just wanted to hear Alec say it.

"The nourishment rune is a replacement for eating…. And it's on your ass…" Alec sighed, realizing this might be a terrible joke that he's a bit slow to.

"So what you're saying is…" Magnus turned back around to face Alec, playfully carding his hands through his chest hair and looking up at him through thick lashes.

"It's-" He swallowed, not wanting to give into this nonsense. "Magnus, it's essentially saying 'eat my ass'." Magnus started to giggle at how annoyed Alec was. "It's essentially a glaring billboard asking people to eat your ass." He pushed back, rubbing his hand over his face. "I'm going to kill my sister." He pointed a finger at Magnus. At this point, Alec was trying to fight back laughter himself as he stormed toward the guest room where Izzy was staying for the week.

"The same sister who gave you a flexibility tramp-stamp!" Magnus called after Alec loudly, taunting him.

That night, nearly everyone staying in the Lightwood-Bane household nearly died of laughter.

* * *

It was around 10:00pm when Magnus decided it was time to execute this plan. It was the smartest time, since the offices in Alicante were mostly cleared out by then, but still populated enough to add the right level of excitement.

Magnus activated his unseen and soundless runes, tucking his stele into the pocket of his emerald silk robe. He'd been conjuring up this plan all day. Alec had always found it sexy when he used his magic - especially in erotic ways. Now that Alec has warlock magic as well, he had been testing the waters to return the favor and drive Magnus wild.

A week ago, he flicked his wrist to dim the lights, moving on in just a few days to set every candle in the bedroom aflame. Portals were child's play for Alec, taking Magnus on a date to his favorite pizza place in New York the second he learned how. He was even starting to learn how to conjure drinks, even if for now, it was just post-coital water.

If he wasn't proactive, Alec might outshine him as a warlock lover. Not that it would be the worst thing in the world, but Magnus did value his pride.

'_Two can play at that game._' he thought as he fleshed out the details of the plan. Even now as he was executing it, the entire thing seemed foolproof. He was going to glamour himself so that he would sneak up to Alec's office in the Alicante Institute without being seen. Then, he was going to disrobe and start touching all over his gorgeous shadowhunter, hopefully convincing him to activate his stealth runes as well. This would give them the voyeuristic thrill of being naughty right in front of unassuming people. Whatever happens at that point was out of his control, but Magnus had a few ideas up his sleeve that involved being on his knees or being pressed against a wall. Eventually, they would probably portal straight back to the bedroom. He even considered letting Alec make the portal.

The mystique in this scenario wasn't the voyeurism. Magnus had used magic, or even just plain and simple cunning to do all sorts of naughty things to Alec. At first, his innocent shadowhunter was wary of such public escapades, but once he realized that with Magnus' magic, it was more about the illusion of being caught than actually being caught, he loosened up and eagerly went in head first- or dick first- into all of his adventures.

But this would be different. This would show Alexander that just like how he can now spice things up with magic, Magnus could keep up the pace with shadowhunter runes alone. If everything went according to plan, the couple was set to have a phenomenal evening.

Taking a deep breath, he circled his arms to create a portal to a lesser-traveled hallway in the offices. He didn't want the portal potentially giving him away. It was relatively quiet and uncrowded as he confidently walked down the main corridor toward Alec's office. His shadowhunter, always the devoted worker, was staying late tonight doing paperwork. Although the hallways were sparse, Alec clearly wasn't the only one still working at this hour, as many of the side offices still had lights on.

The marble floors were cold on his bare feet as he trotted along. He could've portaled closer to the Inquisitor's office, but half of the fun was feeling naughty prancing about the Alicante Institute in a robe. Finally reaching Alecs door, he took a deep breath.

_This is it._

He knocked three times, grabbing his stele before quickly dropping his robe to the floor on the third.

Alec opened the door to a fully nude Magnus, who looked incredibly proud of himself, biting the end of his stele suggestively.

"MAGNUS! WHAT THE HELL!" Alec grabbed Magnus roughly, nearly throwing him into his office before slamming the door and locking it behind him. "You can't just show up at the institute _naked_!" He whispered the last word.

"I can if I activated my unseen rune…" He winked.

"Magnus, if that rune was working, how would I be able to see you right now?" Alec put his hands on his hips. Magnus blinked, fear starting to crack his cocky expression. Alec pinched the bridge of his nose. "Here, put your robe back on. The institute has cameras, you know."

Alec wanted to laugh. If he wasn't so panicked, he would have laughed. His warlock's plans were usually so calculated, but there was something about shadowhunter runes that he couldn't quite grasp.

"Here, why don't we head home.. And maybe have a chat about coming up with ridiculous plans while you're home day-drinking on your day off." Alec opened up a portal to their home, using too little pizzazz and flourish for Magnus' taste.

Sliding his arms into the robe, he pouted.

"I could've done that, you know." He grumbled to himself.

Alec was right though, he really should rethink anything involving public nudity when he'd been day drinking.

* * *

"As you might gather from my smattering of graybles, I was the one making all of the mistakes in exploring the possibilities of the binding rune."

"Or at least that's now it might appear." He pointed a navy-blue glitter fingernail at the woman seated across the room. He leaned back, sighing wistfully.

"Alec, always the quick study, took to warlock magic like a fish to water. I mean, that's what shadowhunting is, right? Learning? All I can compare it to is how quick of a study he was in the bedroom, my innocent little shadowhunter."

"Magnus…." Her tone raised slightly, reminding him that there are certain things you shouldn't mention in polite company. To appease his guest, he went back to being completely serious.

"In shadowhunting, all of your skill is intentional. Over all of the years, through all of the training, you hone a set of talents. A shadowhunter without training, who doesn't know runes," He snapped his fingers, his shirt disappearing to reveal his rune-covered torso. "... who forgets their stele, who doesn't know the ups or downs of physical combat- they are completely useless. The nephilim's strength comes from their ability to harness the power of the angel. Their strength comes from their angelic blood, not from magic"

He stared into his empty martini glass, watching it quickly refill with his favorite Russian vodka.

"Oh, my apologies. Would you like another drink?" She shook her head.

"Warlocks- we are born with all of the magic already in us. Runes are deliberate. Unless you're Clary Fairchild, you can't draw and activate them by mistake. But uncontrolled, a warlock's magic is unpredictable, and can act out in ways one might never expect. The magic is there whether you want it to be or not." He picked up the toothpick from his drink, sucking one of the olives into his mouth and savoring the taste.

"I know they're usually garnish, but you really should try these olives. I get them from this fantastic little farm near Tuscany."

"Magnus, I feel like you're starting to stall here…" Her pointy-toed pump started to tap against the stone floor impatiently.

"You see, without actively controlling my magic," He blinked his eyes, removing the glamour that hid their slit pupils and golden glow. "I can't hide my warlock mark." He stood up, pacing around the room. "Without discipline…" He punched in the direction of the wall, a blast of magic forming a massive, burning hole in the wall. "Simple acts of anger can prove deadly and destructive." He waved his hand, the wall returning back to its original burgundy brocade.

"Alec approached magic with the same attitude as he had for shadowhunting. You learn the spell, the trick, and you're good. He didn't _quite_ grasp how you need to maintain control. Unlike angel magic, warlock magic has a mind of its own."

"Even I, with centuries of experience, occasionally lose my concentration." Mostly in the bedroom, but he decided to omit this detail. He upended the remainder of his martini, swallowing it in one gulp.

"Alec is an honorable shadowhunter- humble, kind, and never conceited. But maybe, he takes a bit after his parabatai after all. Somehow, the responsible Alec Lightwood-Bane was a bit too confident."

Magnus knew he was starting to talk in circles, but he was struggling himself to grasp the details of what he was trying to explain. Also, at this point, he was more than a bit tipsy.

"Common in young warlocks is the inability to resist fulfillment magic. It might seem harmless enough- you want something, you think about it, and _poof_ there it is! Sometimes they do this purposefully, sometimes by mistake. Madzie, for example used to constantly find herself holding an ice cream cone any time she thought of ice cream. But when you get into more complex desires, this can have dire consequences beyond just draining your magic. I know it might sound hard to believe, given that I tend to live a life of excess, but the trick to being a powerful warlock is being able to control your desires."

"I don't understand, my son is exceptionally skilled in self-control, all shadowhunters are." Maryse uncrossed her legs, her facial expression growing more skeptical by the minute.

"It isn't about self control, it's about desire. Alec wanted something for a long time that he couldn't have." Magnus began to speak faster, growing visibly nervous. "Once he was a warlock, when he thought about it hard enough, at just the right moment, he made it happen. Entirely by accident I might add."

The door swung open cutting Magnus off.

"But a very happy accident." Alec walked in, cradling his stomach.

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane, you were supposed to wait until after I explained everything!"

"I love you Magnus, but by the time you stopped talking, the baby would probably have been already born."

Maryse stood up too quickly, her head swimming.

"The… Baby." Her eyes were so wide they looked like they might never shut. "Your… Baby? But how?"

Alec walked up to his mom, gently moving her back onto the couch and taking a seat beside her.

"Like Magnus said. I was thinking about how much I wished Magnus and I could have a baby. With my uncontrolled warlock magic, somehow, I made it happen."

"By the Angel." She rested her hand on Alec's stomach, in awe of how large his bump was already. "You're already showing so much."

"We didn't tell you sooner because we weren't sure what was happening ourselves." Magnus sat down on the opposite side of Alec, amorously putting his arm around his husband.

"Alec's been on leave, and when the baby comes, however it comes, we'll just tell most people that we adopted. It's easier that way."

"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother." Tears started to run down her face. "Have you told Izzy yet?"

"Of course they did!" Izzy burst into the room. "And you have no idea how hard it was to keep the secret!" She huffed, and upon closer inspection, she had flecks of what looked like wood and paint in her hair. "Now, mom, the real reason you're here is that we only have four months left to design the perfect nursery for a half warlock-half shadowhunter baby." She blew a wavy tendril of hair out of her face.

"She's already dragged me into it." Jace walked in, dusting his hands off on his jeans. He had clearly been doing work all day. From the looks of it, they must have been building all of the furniture from scratch. "I'm now known as just 'Uncle' according to Izzy, who has also discarded her name and now only goes by 'Auntie'"

"Well, that makes me Grandma, and I wouldn't have it any other way." She lightly dabbed at the tears streaming down her tanned cheeks as they all piled into one giant uncomfortable hug.

The adventure ahead of them was uncertain, strange, and most definitely exciting, and they were ready to enjoy every second of it.

Except morning sickness, which sucked for everyone involved.


End file.
